Dragonflies, Butterflies & Lady Bugs

Messages From Jasmine

I no longer have any doubt at all that Jasmine is near, one of the greatest gifts of a weekend full of great gifts. My dilemma now is figuring out whether she's just letting me know she's near or whether there's something else I need to hear.

On Friday night, I created a ritual to celebrate where Thalia, Ivy and I have been and to look forward to where we're going. I asked Thalia to aspect Ariadne and she agreed. Asking Ariadne to join us had two purposes -- one, to know Her -- to really experience Her outside of trance and outside of the stories that seem so anemic. The second was to ask her about the path ahead of the three of us -- revisiting camp in a few months, working Ivy through the first year of study and so on. After Ariadne came, I was compelled to ask Her a question that in retrospect seems a little selfish, though I know it was not perceived that way by my sisters. I asked Her if she had encountered Jasmine. "She dances in your eyes," she said in her weirdly accented and throaty voice that was not at all Thalia's. In fact, I was somewhat afraid to ask the question because I was afraid that Thalia's desire to comfort would override anything Ariadne had to offer, but Her response was so unlike anything Thalia would say, that I have no doubt who was speaking. She touched my forehead and said, "She is very near, always with you." Tears welled in my eyes and I danced away. Why this message would soothe me when so many others have not, I can't explain, but I am grateful.

The next night, Saturday, we decided to pack some of our stuff in preparation for an early departure on Sunday. I went out to the truck to grab some bins, and folded the back seats up to make room for the full bins. As I pulled the seat bottom down, a folded piece of cardstock caught my eye. The message? "I love you!" Hands shaking, I opened it. I knew it was from Jasmine -- she had made it right before she died. It had not been there when I pushed the seat up. Jeff tells me he had put the card behind the seats before we left, but I don't think it was an accident that it slipped to where it was, message loud and clear. I took it inside to the cabin and showed it to Thalia and Ivy and no more than thirty minutes later the next message came.

In the whirlwind of Friday night's activities, Thalia lost a silk bag that she stores a particular necklace in. Looking for it, she dug deeply in her suitcase, only to pull out one of the white stones my Illinois covenmates made for Jasmine's memorial service. She had no idea it was in there. It was stamped with a purple dragonfly. If you were there, you probably have one.

When I put these things together with the visit last week and all the other things that have happened, I can't write it off as coincidence or wishful thinking. Jasmine is here. I am now looking for ways to have a more meaningful exchange with her.

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